Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Kathryn Slattery’s book, If I Could Ask God Anything: Awesome Bible Answers for Curious Kids, does not try to come up with the definitive answer to these (and other) questions, but attempts to be a resource guide for parents and Sunday School teachers. She divided the questions into categories: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, Christianity, Prayer, the Church, Christian seasons & holidays, Christian life--and afterlife, and “the Big Questions.”

Since this book is geared toward elementary aged children the answers are brief and uncomplicated. This won’t satisfy teens or adults, but is a good starting point for kids. A few of the questions were probably gleaned from Slattery’s years as a teacher and parent, “What did Jesus look like?” and “What do I do when the church service is boring?” A few are softballs: “Is it OK for me to invite a friend to visit my church?” and “What’s a good bedtime prayer?” However some questions invite thoughtful dialogue and encourage children (and adults) to delve further into their Bibles: “How does the Holy Spirit help me?” and “Does God stop loving me when I sin?”

Because the author created this book to be non-denominational, some parents and kids may want to read this together and talk about how their particular church observes baptism and communion. However, the book is orthodox all the way, funny at times, and a good addition to a home library if you do not already have a similar title.

John 14:6 (NIV)

About Me

Karen Wilber lives in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and their two active boys. She is a former librarian, and corporate trainer, who now works as a reading teacher. She has a love of storytelling, particularly stories of faith.
Writing projects include "The Character of God in the Book of Ruth: Traditional Rabbinic and Current Evangelical Interpretations", completed for an MA in Biblical Studies from St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, an unpublished Bible study on the Book of Ruth, and various online and print magazine articles. She is a member of FaithWriters.